Page 8 - Cool Group of Companies

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Cool Group of Companies - C ool Aqua Springs & H ip Pocke L atrobe Valley......
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A L OCAL SUCCESS STORYY
A LOC AL SUCCESS STOR
T h e m e n b e h in d t h e b u s in e s s
The Cool Group of Companies was built on the
back of a local man, Alfi Prestipino, who has
never lost sight of the town he grew up in.
Both Alfi and Gareth now run the business,
both were born and bred in Morwell, and were
introduced through a previous workplace.
Gareth joined Alfi in 2000 with a focus on sales
and delivery.
morwell cheeky television advertisements in the early
The pair produced and starred in their own
2000’s that gained Cool Group partner Gareth
the local name of ‘the water boy.’ And although
he will deny it, the first logos for the business
is proud included a character that looks remarkably like
‘Alfi’.
– Gareth said that although the advertisements
to be were a bit of fun at the time, they managed to
– gain real recognition for the business.
“At the start of the business we were not
– associated doing constant deliveries like we are now, we
would load up the van for our planned deliveries
and offer free trials, we were basically door-to-
with Alfi and “The ad was running all over the television, I
– door salesmen,” he said.

– was the guy that was in the ad but I was also
the guy that was knocking on people’s doors. I
his team was recognised on their doorstops and even in
– towns I had never been to before.”
“We came up with the ad, we made the props
expanding the and I will never forget filming that first ad on
– Church Street, we had a ball.”
business in “It really was an integral part of the whole

– journey, that first advertisement put us on the Gareth and Alfi outside the new store on Hollie Drive, Morwell.
these uncertain map in terms of exposure.”
As the business grew so did Alfi’s family, he
– met his future wife Donna in the early 2000s without them he would not be the person he is coming to the hospital in Melbourne, where
times and she helped him with sales early on in the today. I stayed for six weeks. Everyone gave me so
– Cool Group of Companies story. T w enty years “Everything I do for this business I do for my much support.”
on and she still continues to support the boys family,” Alfi said. Five years on, Alfi is opening the doors to the
working wherever she can.
– “I am building this legacy for my children’s building he had only ever imagined, and he
“Our business was getting up there in 2008, future. chalks up his recovery and strength to those
we had staff, and we had a business. We around him.
“When I started to have a family it changed my
– married, and our honeymoon to Thailand was perspective of the business. “Over the journey there has been many
1 6 5 Princes Drive the first time I was actually able to have an “Just after we applied for the grant in 2016 challenges and both ups and downs however
– Morwell international holiday,” Alfi said. I had a brain aneurism. It was a huge wake without the support of my family I could not
Alfi and Donna had their first child, Riley a year
Ph: 5 1 3 3 953 3 GP1610191 later followed by Kiana in 2010, and Alfi says up call for me. I did not know if I was going have achieved what we have to this point,” Alfi
said.
to live, let alone get back to work, and I had
–
to consider if the Cool Group of Companies When Gareth came on board he recalls the
dream, including the new builds, was business being run out of Alfi’s bedroom “we
– something I wanted to continue pursuing. were both kids really back then”. Later that
Congratulations business. After I had the brain aneurism, without year he met his future partner Laura who also
Congratulations
“It changed my view of life and of the
became part of the sales team in the formative
– the support of my family I probably would not years of Cool Aqua Springs.
have recovered or been able to come back to “As the business grew so did our families” with
– work with the mindset that I have. the arrival of Maddison in 2008 and Royden
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Alfi, Gareth and the team “I must also thank my friends and business 2013,” Gareth said.
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– associates who stood by me all the way. “This brought a whole new dynamic to the
at Hip Pocket and Cool Aqua
at Hip Po ck et and Cool Aqua “It was a beautiful thing that I was getting not business, the water-boys were starting to grow
Group
Group
– only friends and family but business associates up.”
’
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on the new building
on the ne w b uilding W W h a t ’s t h e e
–
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Thank yo f or allowing
Thank yo u for allo wing C o n gratulations n s
C o ngratulatio
us to be apart of Alfi, Gareth and the T e am GP1609139
us to be apart of itit
– Congratulations
Fr om us al l Alfi, Gareth and the team
From us all atat
– on the Grand Opening of it was a pleasure being a
p
your new premises. part of the new building
–
Wishing your business never
ending success for many years
– of operation.
A great achievement... GP1609214 SHOP 6, 1F
– Thanks for letting us be involved MOORE STREET,
in the building process. MOE
– 5 1 2 6 2 4 3 1
1 5 Grubb Avenue Traralgon 4/5 Rocla Road, T r aralgon www.lvdrafting.com.au
– Phone: 0448 592 779 Ph: 5176 5688 admin@lvdrafting.com.au
PAGE 8 - COOL GROUP OF COMPANIES - COOL AQUA SPRINGS & HIP POCKET LATROBE VALLEY June 2020
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